


Shuichi's Sacrifice

by monoshxma



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Comedy, Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Ouma Kokichi - Freeform, Ouma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi - Freeform, Saihara Shuichi - Freeform, Some characters may be OOC, could possibly have sexual content if people request it in the future, oumasai, saiouma, there will be violence/blood, will add other characters later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-01-07 06:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18405098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monoshxma/pseuds/monoshxma
Summary: Shuichi Saihara is a skilled detective that's constantly bored with the cases given to him. He fears he'll be trapped in the repeated process of investigating marriage scandals until his boss, Hikaru Ito, assigns him to investigate a malicious organization of cunning and highly intelligent criminals known as D.I.C.E. Not much is known about these illusive delinquents, so it's up to Shuichi to crack the case. Although, accepting the case gives the young detective a lot more pain and emotions then he bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fanfiction/story on here so I hope people who love Saiouma as much as I do decide to read this story and enjoy it. I have not written fanfics in quite awhile so please forgive me if my writing is rusty and not the most educated sounding. I hope to improve as I write this. This is just a cute, but angsty modern day au I thought up of one day. No killing game or despair in the universe, just the characters living their lives like normal individuals. This isn't going to be some short little fic, I intend to make this a lengthy short story, so I hope you stick around. My name is Ashlyn and I hope you enjoy my works! Note: I will make up ages based on assumption because I know most DR characters don't have a canon age. P.s: I am kind of basing Shu's and Kichi's personalities based off pregame/my own au. So my interpretation of them is Shuichi is reclusive, shy, and a little bit on the creepy/sketchy side while Kokichi is confident and a joker around friends, but gets bullied and has depression so his walls can be broken down easily.

Chapter 1: Shuichi Saihara’s Ultimate Case

Blood orange rays harshly bathed the dark room full of light as the sun began its steady descent behind the towering city buildings. A half bored, half frustrated sigh slipped from the dark haired boy’s mouth as he re-positioned his head on his clutter-filled pine wood desk. Shuichi Saihara was his name. He sighed once more as a piece of stray hair cascaded over his closed, sleepy eyes. Shuichi had been in this same spot for a few hours now, doing nothing but twiddling his thumbs and wasting the entire day absent-mindedly. Yet behavior such as this was not uncommon for the nineteen year old; he was a highly skilled detective, although he belittled himself continuously and accused himself of not deserving the title. Shuichi had only ever solved one case, frankly it wasn’t even anything catastrophic. Nonetheless, he still became recognized by many for it, the public instantly naming him “the boy detective”. Although he was a well known crime solver, most of the time he only investigated small cases like marriage scandals. Over the years, Shuichi had grown tired of the repeated process and had contemplated quitting. Little did he know, a breakthrough was about to crash into his life this very day. 

Shuichi jumped abruptly at the sound of his desk telephone ringing. Attempting to calm his now rising heart rate, he reached shakily for the phone and answered it. “U-Um, Saihara Shuichi speaking, how may I help you…?”

“Saihara,” the grizzly voice on the opposite receiver boomed, causing the dark teal headed boy to jump again. 

It was Shuichi’s boss; a large, burly man with a distinctive black beard around his face and sunglasses that he seemed to wear constantly. The man was quite a sight to some, but to Shuichi, he was a father figure, always looking out for the young detective. 

Groggily rubbing his gambogeish grey eyes, Shuichi continued the conversation. “Oh, good evening, Ito. Is there a problem…?”

“Problem? Why, of course not, my good boy! I have wonderful news for you. Drum roll, please!”

Shuichi sat on the other line, awkwardly sitting in silence per his boss’s request. The boy didn’t joke around much, which caused a number of people to dislike him, but Shuichi, nevertheless, meant no harm. He simply took things too seriously.

“Alright,” Ito cleared his throat loudly, “no drum roll then… I just called to alert you, Saihara, that you have a new detective case! Isn’t that wonderful?!”  
Shuichi rolled his eyes aggressively, flopping back against his leather swivel chair. “Oh how fantastic, let me guess? Another distressed wife wants me to go driving my car down the neighborhood, following her overweight excuse of a husband around like a bloodhound? Only to find out approximately fifteen hours later that said husband was cheating on her with some blonde twenty year old? Ito, my apologies, but I simply cannot bear to cover another case like--” 

“Will your blabbering ass shut up for one second,” his boss snapped at him, shockingly irritated. “You didn’t let me finish explaining.”

Now flustered from embarrassing himself, Shuichi’s face burned fluorescent pink. “A-Ah, my bad… S-Sorry, sir. Please go on…” 

“Thank you. As I was saying… You have a new case on your hands, Saihara, and it’s a big one. Nothing like you’ve ever covered before.”

The dark haired boy’s heart wildly slammed against his chest.

A big one? Nothing like I’ve ever covered before…? What is he playing at?

Shuichi swallowed the forming lump in his throat, his voice quivering as he spoke. “Go on, sir.”

“All right, so listen, son. There’s been talk surfacing lately about this “evil organization” known as D.I.C.E. Barely anything is known about this group and that’s the issue here. The FBI, the police, hundreds of detectives have been trying to catch these delinquents, but they’ve all failed miserably. Apparently, it’s a criminal group with a ton of members and they’re smart, real fucking smart, Saihara. To elaborate, they outwit everyone in their path of destruction. So far, the current information we have is that they mainly rob and kidnap people, but God knows what else they’re capable of. There’s been no reports of murder, as of right now, but injuries from victims have been recorded. I believe they’re so damn intelligent because they have a leader. The person is cunning too, constantly manages to mind-fuck these detectives and mislead them. They always win and they need to be stopped, Saihara.” 

Shuichi nodded intently as he listened to the information. He had never heard of such a group before, not even on the news. Maybe, these criminals really were that illusive, that no one could even begin to describe them and their nature. 

“Alright, I understand. But, Ito, sir, why are you explaining all of this information to me?”  
There was a long pause over the line before his boss erupted with bold laughter. “Saihara, you must be half asleep or something! I’m telling you this crap because it’s your case!”

Shuichi’s breath hitched dramatically in his throat as his ears perceived the last sentence. Did he hear him correctly? Was this really his new case? The idea of going into an actual exciting case burned a fire of exhilaration in the boy’s chest as he leaped off of his desk chair, pumping his fist into the air like an excited little kid who received a new toy. “Yes! I finally get a real freaking case!” Shuichi bounced up and down repeatedly, most likely accepting a noise complaint in the near future from his downstairs neighbor. The teal haired boy continued his triumph before he realized Ito was still on the phone. 

“Saihara, focus, my boy,” his boss shouted through the landline. The man was slightly amused at his worker’s current excitement though. 

Shuichi clumsily returned to his seat, flipping his black desk light on as the golden sun had fully disappeared now. “Sorry about that, um… Continue please.”

“Now that we’ve officially established this is your case, I will now forward you a picture of the organization’s leader.”

Within a few moments, Shuichi’s laptop binged with life as the email popped up on the bright screen. The boy leaned over the laptop, double clicking on the email. Shuichi squinted in curiosity as soon as the picture loaded up on full screen. It was from a great distance, and to be frank, the quality was horrendous. Then again, if this group was so hidden as it was rumored to be, of course a high quality picture of the leader would be nearly impossible, so the boy didn’t complain. The picture sported a figure of a person, leaping off a roof of a skyscraper. Shuichi inspected the photo more carefully, his eyes scanning every detail he could find. The person was skinny in stature and the way they lunged themselves from one building to another was graceful, almost feline-like. They wore white pants with a matching white, long sleeved shirt that resembled something similar to a straight jacket. Along with the jacket, the individual wore a long, black cape that rippled in the wind and was purple on the underside. A black hat complimented the cape, but the thing that stood out most was the white clown mask around the person’s face. It menacingly stared straight into the camera, well aware they were being watched.

“Gives you the chills, doesn’t it?” Ito’s deep voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Yeah, it does… But I need you to inform me on something, sir.” Shuichi hesitated, taking a deep breath. “Why… Why did you choose me to do this case? I-I… I don’t understand. I’m not some fancy, professional detective, I’m nothing special. I’m simply just a clumsy nineteen year old kid who can’t do anything right…” Hot, salty tears dared to well up in his grey eyes as Shuichi spoke. He knew he wasn’t intelligent enough or trained enough for this case. Ito was deliberately setting himself up by giving such a challenging task to the young man.

Ito sighed, clearing his throat, “Saihara, my boy, you gotta stop pitying yourself so much.”

Shuichi sniffled obnoxiously, wiping his running nose with his coat sleeve. “W-What do you-”

“Have more confidence in yourself, son! You won’t get anywhere in life if you pity yourself. Jesus Christ, would it kill you to have a little ounce of self confidence? Listen closely, ‘cause I’m only saying it once: I chose you for this case because I didn’t want anyone else on it than you. You’re a wise one, Saihara. I wouldn't have chosen you for this case if I knew you couldn't crack it. I won’t let you refuse me either. In one week from now, on Monday, October 1st, you’re getting your ass out there and starting this case! No ifs, ands, or butts! Thank you and good night.”

Stuttering rapidly, Shuichi tried to reason with Ito, but the ruthless boss had already hung up on the defenseless detective. The current situation still seemed like a fantasy. He couldn't even imagine what this case had in store for him or what could come from it. Most definitely, it was dangerous. Shuichi knew well this case could cost him an eye, or a leg… Or his whole life even, but he had to risk the severities. Lightly pounding a fist against his dark colored desk, he accepted the situation at hand. Even if it was ridiculous, Shuichi would take on this case, his boss was counting on him. But the one thing Shuichi didn’t realize is that this case would bring him a lot more than the young man anticipated.


	2. The Grand Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our gay boy Shuichi meets Kokichi for the first time and it's not so pretty, as you can see. But don't worry, I was simply trying to build up the plot line. Kokichi won't be an asshole anymore, once Shuichi meets Kokichi outside of D.I.C.E. The fluff is coming up in Chapter 3, so get ready.

Chapter 2

The Grand Meeting 

 

        Early morning drowsiness washed over the young detective as his eyes lazily fluttered open at the persistent beeping of his alarm clock. With an annoyed groan and a half-assed swing of his hand, the exhausted Shuichi had managed to shut up the forsaken noise machine. It was the special day Shuichi had been eagerly anticipating for for a whole week: October 1st. A week ago, the boy had been given a crucial detective case to investigate a group known as D.I.C.E. Although Shuichi was excited, the thought of actually stepping outside and taking this task head on scared him to the core. He had no experience with criminals whatsoever and Shuichi still could not comprehend why his boss, Ito, had decided to give him this case. Messy dark hair clung to his tired features as Shuichi rolled out of bed. With a long yawn and a few aching cracks of his back, the detective finally abandoned the comfort of his bed to prepare himself for the day. Shuichi dressed himself swiftly and silently as he pulled on his usual black suit and pants. The boy contemplated starting the day with breakfast, but stupidly thought against it as he slipped on his iconic black cap.

 

        “All right, Shu. I know this is going to be difficult for you, but you can do it… Believe in yourself.” The boy gave himself a quick pep talk before stashing his Gen 5 Glock 17 into his holster and confidently strutting out the door.

 

________________________________________

 

        Time sequences seemed to form a melting pot as the hours ticked by slowly and painstakingly. Two hours… Six hours… How long would Shuichi have to wait in order to even get the slightest glimpse of activity? To think, the detective had been sitting in his car for almost four hours now, waiting for something, _anything_ to happen. But nothing ever did. Growing paranoid as he usually did, Shuichi began to doubt this was even a real, active case. Ito could have set him up for humiliation on purpose, or perhaps these criminals had already been caught and Ito was too dense to consider it.

 

        Shuichi slapped his cheeks, a frustrated growl emitting from his throat. “No, no. Don’t think that way, Shuichi. Your boss is a professional, he wouldn’t play some childish prank on you…”

 

        Despite Shuichi trying to reassure himself, he simply could not shake the thought of feeling like he was wasting his time. As if the world were on cue, a shady looking person could be spotted in the distance. The young detective leaped forward with sudden alert as he stared at the suspicious entity. The person appeared to be male with a noticeable head full of red, afro-like hair. The man was extremely tall and his outfit resembled the leader’s he had seen previously in the email. The criminal sent a series of hand signals behind his back before racing down an alleyway, the rest of the group following closely behind him. Shuichi’s eyes dilated as he scanned each member of the group. There were eight others and they moved like a pack of wolves; together and on high alert. Last but not least, their leader slithered out from behind the building, casually trailing after his sidekicks. A cold chill snaked up Shuichi’s spine as the leader shot their head down the street, looking directly at the detective’s car. Luckily, his windows were tinted, if they hadn’t been then most likely he would have been shot at if the leader concealed a weapon. The short statured person of interest tilted his head to the side, almost mockingly at Shuichi’s car.

 

_Oh god… He knows._

 

        The delinquent stared for a few more moments before slipping away into the alley. Every fiber in Shuichi’s being begged for him to rev up the engine and speed away without a second thought. But doing so would result in the detective to definitely get fired by his boss. Doubtfully exiting the vehicle, the dark teal headed boy grasped his gun for protection as he cautiously made his way after D.I.C.E. Deathly silence and damp darkness penetrated the air as the tall boy made his way down the alleyway. The putrid stench of garbage and other unknown substances burned his nostrils as he continued his path forward. Typically, Shuichi wouldn’t be following a group of dangerous people into a plausible trap, but he refused to sit around and wait for them to make a move.

 

_Could this be a trap…? I never even thought about it that way… D-Do they know I’m following them?_

 

       A shrill, maniac cackle filled the air above his head causing Shuichi to stop dead in his tracks. Even though Shuichi had been quieter than a field mouse, D.I.C.E still had managed to catch wind of him. It was too late, he was in massive trouble.

 

        “Looks like we got a sneaky little fox roaming around our turf,” another female voice piped in.

 

        All at once, the nine members came leaping out from windows and cracks in the abandoned buildings, circling the detective in seconds. Shuichi spun around, staring wide eyed at the collection of masked faces.

 

        “Aw, what’s the matter, pretty boy? Cat got your tongue?”

 

        “I say we rough ‘em up! Show this bitch who’s boss.”

 

        “Why were you following us, huh, punk?”

 

        Anxiety mingled with fear hit the younger boy like a tidal wave as the members all rambled at once, trying to decide what to do with him. Without thinking rationally, Shuichi pulled out his pistol, pointing it at the tallest group member with the afro. “S-Stay right there or I’ll-”

 

        His sentence was cut short as a blur of white and black lunged at Shuichi from above, knocking him flat on the ground with a hard thud. The dark haired boy gasped as the impact temporarily winded him. Fumblingly around helplessly, the detective aimed his gun at his attacker. As if Earth slowed it’s equatorial spin, Shuichi watched in disbelief as the events unfolded in front of him. He laid paralyzed as D.I.C.E’s leader effortlessly kicked the weapon out of the detective’s grasp, the gun skidding across the earth to his left. Then, with no hesitation at all, the criminal pressed their foot against Shuichi’s chest, restricting any movements whatsoever.

 

        The leader chuckled loudly, the rest of the group chirping in with him. “Well, well, well… Today must be my lucky day.” The person’s voice was monotonous, clearly a voice modifier was being used to hide his identity. To add upon the freaky factor, the leader seemed to have their hair typed up and tucked away, once again to protect his precious identity. This person clearly was skilled at their game. Grunting, Shuichi squirmed uncomfortably as he tried to take in as much detail as he could. The detective’s eyes shamelessly wandered over the person’s chest, then down to their lower half.

 

_Well… It’s definitely a guy._

 

        Now that Shuichi established the person’s gender, he had a better understanding of who this leader was, in some sense…

 

        “I cannot believe they sent another pretty boy detective after us, it’s just amusing at this point, really. Do they think we’re that dumb?!” The leader asked his group, eliciting an uproar of amused laughter from the members.

 

        “I know right,” the tallest man with the red afro spoke up. He had a bellowing, New York accent that complimented him well. “Do these dumb fucks really think they can catch us? They should give it up already. I mean, look at this dude, he literally reeks submissive!”

 

        Another round of cackling scattered throughout the area, causing Shuichi’s face to burn red behind his hat. Regrettably, their insults were getting the better of him.

 

        “Aw, look. Little baby is embarrassed,” the shortest girl in the group howled, a loud snort escaping her mouth each time she laughed.

 

        “Alright, alright! Shut up,” the leader of the organization barked, silencing the members immediately.

 

        While the leader was distracted, Shuichi stole this opportunity to reach for his gun. He needed desperately to flee the scene and report back to Ito. Unfortunately, the leader saw his attempt and he wasn’t pleased with it. Searing pain shot up the detective’s arm as the leader rammed his shoe into his skin, digging it hard against the sharp, gravel pavement. “Where the fuck do you think _you’re_ going, Mr. Detective?”

 

        Shuichi withered in pain as the masked male pressed down harder, a bold crunch sounding from his body. The leader had broken his arm out of pure rage, immobilizing the boy even more.

 

        “That’s it, hot shot. Scream even louder, show me how much it hurts being stepped on like a piece of disgusting trash.” Sadistic laughter jumped from the leader’s throat while he spoke. The idea that he was enjoying this made Shuichi shiver.

 

        “Uh, boss?”

 

        “What?!” The leader whipped his head around, huffing angrily through his disguised voice.

 

        “What should we do with him? Kill him?”

 

        Panic surged through Shuichi’s veins as he heard the word “kill” get tossed around so easily. He wasn’t ready to die he wasn’t ready to--

 

        “Ah, no… Not this time,” the leader spoke more calmly now, once again facing Shuichi. The detective could not see anything past the horrible clown mask, but he still could feel the stabbing eyes of the leader as he towered over him. “This one, is interesting… I want to play with him for awhile.”

 

        Shuichi’s yellowish, grey orbs gaped with terror at the sentence he just heard.

 

_What the hell does he mean by that?_

 

        Before his train of thought could continue, the leader rudely chucked Shuichi’s gun back at him and removed his shoe from his now useless arm. “Run, pretty boy. Before I change my mind and put a bullet through your face.”

 

        Wasting no second, Shuichi snatched his Gen 5 17 Glock and scrambled away like a horrified animal, holding onto his broken limb for support. And as he ran, the only thing left he could hear were the malicious laughs of D.I.C.E, mocking the poor boy as he fled.  

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Updates will be at random and I cannot promise chapters will be released quickly. But I hope you decide to stick around and keep reading this story. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, make sure to comment. Thanks!


	3. A Day at the Cafe

 

Chapter 3

A Day at the Cafe 

 

        The day previously, Shuichi Saihara had his first encounter with the mysterious evil organization known as D.I.C.E. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly as the young detective hoped for and ended up in the hospital with a painful broken arm. Shuichi had profusely underestimated the power of the organization and merely thought of them as scandalous criminals, but they were so much more.

 

        “So, how exactly did this guy break your whole arm?” Ito questioned the boy over the phone.

 

        “Sir, I’m telling you! The members ganged up on me and the leader jumped me when I wasn’t looking. I was so terrified I thought I was going to have a heart attack!” Shuichi exclaimed, the distress rising in his voice. “They could have killed me…”

 

        The young detective shifted on his hospital bed, the disinfection sheet crunching under his weight. He had been sitting alone in the hospital room for at least thirty minutes now, waiting anxiously for the doctor to come and give him his diagnosis. Even if it was a simple broken arm, Shuichi felt utterly defeated. Yesterday was absolute hell and it drove the detective to ponder if he should continue the assignment. Sure enough, his boss convinced him otherwise.

 

        “Saihara, I’m sorry… If I’m being honest, I had no clue how strong these guys were, I thought they were just smart. I was incorrect about that. I didn't realize how lethal they were. But that doesn’t mean you should drop your guard and quit! I know you, my boy, I know you’re capable of doing it!”

 

        “B-But Ito--”

 

        “Take a break until your arm heals up. Meanwhile, you’ll have time to recuperate and plan your next move for these delinquents! Don’t let them win.” Per usual, the grizzly man hung up the phone before Shuichi had a chance to respond.

 

        Grumbling, the detective shoved his phone into his pocket just as the doctor had finally entered the room. “Ahaha, sorry about being late. Some fellow came in with a knife through his chest.” The doctor laughed casually, jotting things down on his wooden clipboard.

 

        “O-Oh, that’s all right…” Shuichi regretted for complaining earlier about the wait. His arm was the last of the doctor’s concern.

 

        The doctor approached Shuichi, slipping on a pair of latex gloves. “Alright, Saihara, let’s see what we have here…” He gently squeezed around Shuichi’s swollen forearm, causing him to wince. “It hurts right here?” 

 

        The boy nods, “Y-Yeah…”

 

        “I see, tell me, Saihara. How exactly did you break your arm?” The doctor pulled over a plastic chair, taking a seat in front of Shuichi.

 

        “Ah, well…” he trailed off. 

 

        What was a normal way to tell your doctor, “Yeah, so, some criminal guy smashed my arm. You know, the usual.”

 

        “It’s kind of complicated… I’m a detective and my boss sent me on a case. To sum it up, one of the criminals decided to crush my arm.” Shuichi explained the best to his ability.

 

        “Ahaha, well that’s an interesting story to tell. How about we go in back to take x-rays.”

 

        Shuichi complied, following after the doctor.

 

________________________________________

 

        After a hasty amount of tests and procedures, the doctor delivered the news that Shuichi did, in fact, have a pretty fair break in his arm. He proceeded to wrap his arm in a cast, give him some pain medication, and sent the boy back into the world to heal for four weeks tops. As much as the detective hated being useless, there was nothing much he could do other than follow doctor’s orders and stay on the down-low. 

 

        It was around 12:30 pm as the now bandaged Shuichi exited the hospital. Making his own lunch would be a timely hassle, so the boy decided that eating out would be the best decision, he was sick of making sandwiches anyways. Shuichi wasn’t skilled at cooking, no matter how much he practiced, he always managed to set the smoke alarm off or following the recipe incorrectly. Shuichi chuckled at himself as he remembered the time he nearly lit his apartment ablaze while attempting to make a grilled cheese. Long story short, it didn’t end well for the young man, nor the kitchen. Silky, dark teal hair bounced against his face as Shuichi strolled down the sidewalk, not exactly sure where he was going. Occasionally, people would glance at him with an odd look, only for Shuichi to unconsciously stare back. Even though he was a well known detective, many folks didn’t like Shuichi’s presence. They accused him of being weird and standoffish, but the insults didn’t really get to him. In actuality, he knew his personality was a little peculiar, but at least he still had people who he called friends. Shuichi’s stomach growled in anger as he approached the street with a bunch of restaurants and fast food places. Going out for food was a rare ordeal for Shuichi. Most of the time, he’d make something himself or have food delivered. Due to this, the detective began to panic as he looked over all the restaurants, the decision to pick one overwhelmed him. Walking back and forth, Shuichi scanned each restaurant. None of them caught his eye or they all appeared to have too many crowds of people. At the brink of giving up, Shuichi spotted a pink and white building at the opposite corner of the street. There were cute, lace curtains covering the stained glass windows and a white, wrought iron bench out front. Trailing his vision upwards, he saw the sign name which simply read “Kuma Cafe”. Typically, a guy of Shuichi’s appearance would not be seen at such a place, but of course, the detective was not like other boys his age, and happily marched across the street with eagerness as he approached the small restaurant. A tiny bell jingled happily as Shuichi entered the cafe. The inside of the building was quite quaint, having a relatively cutesy bear theme, thus the word “kuma” came in. The walls were displayed with cream colored wallpaper with a floral pattern. Multiple fireplaces and dim, bubblegum pink lights hung from the ceiling, giving the place a warm and cozy atmosphere. Only about four other tables were full which made Shuichi comfortable; there weren’t many people there to disturb him. As he continued looking around, the hostess of the cafe skipped up to him. “Hello! Welcome to Kuma Cafe. How many in your party?”

 

        Shuichi awkwardly snapped to attention, “A-Ah, just me today.”

 

        The hostess nodded and grabbed a menu before escorting the boy to his table. Thanking the lady, Shuichi took a seat at the table, continuing his search of the restaurant. The table cloth matched the rest of the feminine atmosphere; it was pink and white checkered and a piffling glass vase sat in the middle, stuffed to the brim with forget-me-nots. 

 

        “Do you see that guy over there? What the hell is a person like him doing in a girly cafe like this?”

 

        Shuichi’s ears perked at the sound of snarky giggling coming from behind him.

 

        “He’s probably gay.” Another girl added in, practically wheezing from laughter.

 

        Shuichi slumped in his seat, pulling his hat further over his eyes in self consciousness. At any rate, he knew it was strange for him to be in here, but they had no room to judge and be stereotypical. After a few more minutes of hearing the torturous gossip from the corner, a waiter emerged from the kitchen and walked towards the detective’s table. Shuichi gazed intensely at the boy who approached him. He seemed to be around his age, eighteen to say the least. Short, purple and black hair adorned his head and violet eyes to match. He was shorter than most people, probably around five foot one. In addition, he wore the cafe’s designated uniform, along with a lavender cooking apron that had grapes all over it. Shuichi didn’t realize how long he was staring for until the young waiter snapped him out of his fantasy. 

 

        “Hi,” the purple headed male smiled at him cheerfully. “My name is Ouma Kokichi and I’ll be your waiter for today.”

 

        Shuichi averted his eyes quickly, tipping his hat down over his face to hide the fact his cheeks were growing warm.

 

_         Why are you acting so weird? Get yourself together. _

 

        “T-Thanks…” The detective muttered under his breath.

 

        Kokichi saw how stiff Shuichi was being, so he decided to spark up a casual conversation, despite being on work duty. “And what’s your name? I haven’t seen you here before.” 

 

        “U-Um, it’s Saihara… Saihara Shuichi. And yeah, you’re right. This is my first time dining here.” 

 

        The younger boy’s eyes trailed down to Shuichi’s cast causing him to stiffen for a second, an unreadable expression plastered on his face. His voice gently darkened as he spoke, “What happened there,” he gestured to his wrapped limb. 

 

        Shuichi clicked his tongue with annoyance, peering down at his useless appendage. “Well, let’s just say my job is a little dangerous and I made the idiotic mistake of screwing with the wrong person…”

 

_         I swear I’ll get revenge on that bastard… _

 

        Kokichi silently stared at Shuichi’s arm for a few more seconds before coming back to earth. “I’m sorry about that. But anyways, would you like to get started off with a drink,” his joyful tone returned. 

 

        The detective observed the menu, landing on a drink labeled “bubble tea”. “I’ll have one of these, please.”

 

        “Alright, coming right up!” Kokichi beamed, disappearing into the kitchen once more. After some time, Kokichi returned with the baby blue tea, placing it on the table for Shuichi. “There you go, one fresh bubble tea~” 

 

        “Thanks,” the detective’s lips curled into a small smile. 

 

        “Have you decided what you want to eat,” the smaller boy inquired. 

 

        “A-Ah, not yet. I still need a few more minutes.”

 

        “Sure, take as much time as you need.” Kokichi stepped away to move to another table’s order.

 

        Shuichi gawked persistently at the way the shorter male strutted away to the next table. Kokichi grinned brightly at the customers, tapping his foot against the tile and tucking in a strand of purple locks that had managed to slip out of his tied up hair. The detective couldn't comprehend why he was ogling so hard at the young waiter. Maybe it was because he didn’t judge him for being there, unlike some people. 

 

        “Saihara-chan.” Shuichi jumped out of his skin, sending his menu flying across the floor. “Oops, nishishi~ Sorry, I must have scared you.” 

 

        Profusely apologizing, Shuichi picked up his menu. Had he really been that deep in thought that he didn't even sense Kokichi’s presence? He sure was out of it today.

 

        “So, what would you like to order,” Kokichi tilted his head, his signature smile played across his lips like a violin.

 

        The teal headed boy started to cold sweat as soon as it dawned on him he  _ still  _ hadn’t chosen a menu item. Concerning that matter, he blindly pointed a finger at a food item, which happened to be a crepe cake. 

 

        “A crepe cake then? Good choice! I love those, you’ll get fat though if you eat too many.” 

 

        Shuichi unconsciously chuckled at Kokichi’s words, which seemed to please the younger boy as he took the menu from Shuichi and left. 

 

        A little later, Kokichi came out of the kitchen, rainbow crepe cake in hand. “Here you go, Saihara-chan.” His petite hands slid the decorated plate upon the table. “And of course you’ll be needing these,” he chirped, setting down a knife and fork wrapped within a cloth napkin.

 

        Shuichi widened his yellow-grey eyes with wonder. “Wow, it looks great. Thanks, Ouma.”

 

        The detective stabbed his fork into the fluffy dessert, taking a bite out of it. It was sweet and airy, but not too much that the flavor was overpowering. Actually, it was one of the best things Shuichi had ever eaten. Alas, his enjoyable moment didn’t last long as he heard the familiar voice from the corner of the establishment.

 

        “Oh my god, look at him now. What a gay little bitch, he’s even eating a rainbow cake.” 

 

        Shuichi clenched his fork tightly, trying hard to ignore their insults. But the detective wasn’t the only one who had their attention caught. He paused as Kokichi glared at the girls from across the cafe, wasting no time storming up to them. The boy turned around as the purple headed waiter approached the table, clearing his throat. “Do we have a problem?”

 

        The blonde girl at the table whizzed her head around, scrunching her nose in disgust. “Oh, it’s you. No, we don’t have a prob-”

 

        “Shut the fuck up,” Kokichi hissed, his bubbly personality slipping from him entirely. “You’re a terrible liar. I  _ hate  _ liars.” The boy’s fist trembled as he spoke.

 

        “Woah, first of all, how dare you speak to a customer like that?! Secondly--”

 

        “No,” Kokichi snapped, pointing a finger aggressively at the girl. “Do you think I’m that stupid? I can hear your loud ass mouth over here being a homophobic piece of trash. That customer over there is simply trying to enjoy his meal in peace and you’re ruining it! I have every right to kick you out of this facil--”

 

        A nasty grin stretched on the blonde’s face as she took both hands and shoved Kokichi to the floor. He instantly lost balance, falling hard onto his back. Shuichi stood up instinctively, running over to Kokichi’s aid. 

 

        “Wow, he’s sure got a mouth on him, but this twig is all talk. Pathetic. Come on, Suki. Let’s get out of here.” The girl’s fled the area, even having the audacity to dine and ditch. 

 

        Kokichi shakily sat up, tears streaming down his face. He looked like an absolute wreck in a matter of seconds. “Hehehe… That sucked,” he joked halfheartedly, wiping his face with his arm. 

 

        “O-Ouma, are you all right? You hit the floor pretty hard…” Shuichi examined him for any bodily wounds. 

 

        Kokichi stared at him curiously, before a smirk appeared on his face. “Saihara-chan is worried about me~”

 

        “H-Huh?”

 

        “Oh nothing…” Kokichi rose to his feet, dusting his apron off. “I’ll be making sure girls like them never step in here ever again.”

 

        Luckily, the rest of the cafe was empty when the incident occur, but now it was just him and Kokichi, which made Shuichi nervous for some reason. With a few more exchanged words, the detective went back to eating his crepe cake. Once he was finished Shuichi paid for the meal and politely thanked Kokichi. It was only until his trip home that Shuichi pulled out the receipt and noticed a small message at the bottom. The message was written in purple glitter pen and neat handwriting. A small blush formed on the detective’s face as the note read, “I hope to see you again! -Ouma Kokichi”.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally wrote a soft and gay chapter UWU. I hope you liked Chapter 3 and continue to support this story. Leave a comment if you have ideas or suggestions, thank you!


	4. Something Seems Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that it took me so long to update this, only to give you a really rushed and short chapter. I've had writers block recently and this was the best I could produce. I'll try to make the next chapter more interesting. I hope you continue to support this story! Thank you.

 

Chapter 4: Something Seems Different

 

        During the dragged out four weeks of healing Shuichi Saihara visited the Kuma Cafe almost daily. Something about the friendly atmosphere and the charismatic purple haired young man named Kokichi Ouma always seemed to lure the detective back in. Over time, the pair of boys became friends and they both enjoyed each other’s company. Shuichi would update Kokichi on his broken arm and make small talk with the waiter everytime he dined at the cafe. Gradually, the four weeks passed and the detective’s arm was as good as knew, meaning he could get back on D.I.C.E.’s tails. 

 

        Sweat beaded down Shuichi’s forehead and dripped to the ground as the dark haired boy recklessly chased a group of D.I.C.E members down the busy streets of Monoshima city. Astonished yet fearful looks passed over pedestrians as they watched Shuichi bounding after the criminals at high speed. Thankfully, nothing fatal had taken place today with the organization, regardless they still were being nuisances and were harassing a cluster of elderly people, stealing their money in the process.

 

        “Aww, is Little Detective Man getting tired?” The usual afro displayed man mocked Shuichi with an ugly cackle. “C’mon, what were those old hags going to do with all that cash anyways? Buy denture cream?!” As if he were the funniest individual on the planet, the man laughed at himself once more. 

 

        The detective growled, firing a round of shots at the D.I.C.E. members. He quite frankly had enough of their bullshit, even though this was his second round into the case. Their hideous, matching outfits. Their taunting, prodding voices that drove you to the brink of a meltdown. Childish motives and disgusting attitudes towards the innocent people of Monoshima. Especially their leader. That guy… Every single thing about these people made Shuichi’s blood boil under his flesh. Certainly, he would destroy this group and have them all locked behind bars, even if it was the last thing he did. The chase seemed to go on for eternity until the group stopped dead in their tracks, turning to face Shuichi dead on.

 

        “Maaaan, I’m fucking hungry! Do you guys want to go get some burgers or somethin’?” A stubby, rotund man with a deep voice asked cooly, looking at the man with the afro.

 

        “Do… D-Do you people think t-this is a joke?!” Shuichi spat hoarsely, exerting himself to catch his breath. 

 

        “Exactly! Now you’re catching on, Mr. Detective!”

 

        The familiar metallic voice made the hairs on Shuichi’s neck stand up on end. It was him.

 

        The teal headed boy whipped around, shakily pointing his gun at the masked figure. Only then did Shuichi realize how un-intimidating the leader truly was. He was short and even through his uniform he could conclude how scrawny this man was. Perhaps if Shuichi was quick enough, he could tackle the leader to the ground. 

 

_         No… Idiot, if you did that right now the other members would be beating me to the ground! Think, think… _

 

        “Ah, we won’t be needing this dumb thing!” The leader snatched the pistol from the detective's grasp, chucking it over his head to the red-haired afro man. “Violence really isn't my forte, after all.”

 

        Hearing this made Shuichi furious. With a hard glare, he stared at the short man in disgust. “What the hell do you mean, “violence really isn't my forte”? You broke my arm the first time we encountered each other. Or are you so thick in the head that you forgot?” The last sequence of the sentence came out as a hiss. 

 

        The leader and his members stood in silence for a good while before the cloaked individual spoke up once more. “Well, you just caught me on my bad side last time! Woke up pretty cranky, only had a piece of toast for breakfast when usually I get spoiled with a full meal by my servants. I wonder where they were that day, maybe up to no good somewhere else. Anyways! So I didn't have a proper meal so I was in a reeeeally bad mood and I guess seeing another detective made my day even more shitty.” The leader cocked his head, placing his hands on his hips as he proceeded blabbering. “Soooo, I broke your arm out of sheer annoyance, but I did regret it afterwards, I really did!” 

 

        Shuichi blinked rapidly as his brain tried to process the mindless words the smaller was throwing at him. 

 

_         W-What the hell is going on? The first time I met him I thought he was some deranged sadist who surely would slit my throat if I stepped within five feet of him… But now, he just seems… Off. He’s being passive for some unknown reason. Him nor his members have even made an attempt to attack me today. Something doesn’t seem right. As if something or someone changed his mindset; flipped the switch inside his head. _

 

        “Helloooo, are you gonna stare into the void all day?” Without warning, the leader stepped forward, ripping Shuichi’s cap off his head. Now fully exposed to the world, Shuichi’s ahoge sprang to life which made the organization members giggle behind him.

 

        “Dude, look at his hair, it’s fuckin’ funny.”

 

        “Give it back!” Shuichi’s voice cracked in betrayal as he went to reach for his beloved hat, only for the leader to take off in a sprint, his members following behind him.

 

        “Thanks for the neat, souvenir, Mr. Detective,” he shouted behind him before they all disappeared into a nearby alleyway. 

 

        “My gun  _ and  _ my hat!?” Shuichi cried out loud exasperatedly as he stomped his heel against the pavement in aggravation. The young detective felt pathetic and useless. Any  _ real  _ detective would have put that jackass in his place and shot him right in the head and watched triumphantly as the others collapsed without a ruler to order them around like lab rats. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Conceivably, Shuichi’s heart may be too big for its own good. Without much thought, Shuichi returned to his car and turned to the one place he knew he could confide in: the Kuma Cafe.

______________________________

 

        The golden bell above the white, birch door jingled delightfully as Shuichi trudged into the cute cafe, his hair tossed across his face and his clothes a disheveled mess. Unquestionably, he was in no presentable mood, but he didn’t care how many stares he received, his mood had been ruined. The hostess showed Shuichi to a table in the corner of the restaurant. Thanking her quickly he slumped into the chair, resting his tired head on the table. 

 

        “Saihara-chan, are you alright?”

 

        The sweet sound of Kokichi’s voiced stirred Shuichi to gaze up at him, yellowish-grey eyes hazy with discontent. “Oh, hey, Ouma-kun…” 

 

        The younger boy took a seat in front of the detective, a look of concern now on his face. “You look like you’ve been hit by a truck! What happened?” The purple headed male trailed his eyes up to Shuichi’s now naked head. “And you finally got rid of that emo hat! Are you having a midlife crisis or something?” 

 

        Shuichi grumbled, trying to flatten the protruding ahoge on his head. “It wasn’t emo! And yeah, I know. Someone stole it from me…”

 

        “Really? Who took it? I’ll beat their ass for you, Saihara-chan!” Kokichi chanted, raising his hands into fists.

 

        The detective chuckled tiredly, waving a hand at the smaller boy. “No, no. No need, Ouma-kun. This guy I’m dealing with is my own problem…”

 

        “Ouma! Get back to work, please!” A tall, neatly dressed young woman emerged from the back room, a scowl curling her lips at the sight of her slacking employee. Her name was Kirumi Tojo, the owner of the Kuma Cafe and Kokichi’s stern boss. The purple haired male had claimed multiple times that Kirumi was like a mother figure to him; warm hearted but with a bite to her personality. Aside being a manger, Kirumi worked as a maid on weekends, so it seemed her work was never done. No wonder she was so short tempered…

 

        “Alright, alright,” Ouma whined from across the restaurant. “I’m coming! See you, Saihara-chan.” Kokichi waved goodbye at the detective before skipping off towards the light haired woman. 

 

        Shuichi gathered up his belongings before heading out of the cafe. He wished to stay, but unfortunately had to discuss with Ito what was going down. Dialing up the number, Shuichi pressed his thumb against the “call” button as he made his way down the street to his apartment complex.

 

        “Hello, Ito speaking,” the rumble of the man’s deep voice sounded through the phone.

 

        “Ito, sir, it’s Saihara.”

 

        “Ah, Saihara! My boy! It’s great to hear from my loyal detective. What’s new,” he inquired his tone going serious. 

 

        “Well, sir, it appears that the organization seems more docile now. Last time I encountered them, they nearly slaughtered me. But now the leader treated me as if I were some kid he enjoys pranking, I don’t understand it at all.” Shuichi recollected at the event, it really was confusing. 

 

        “So they’re friendlier you say? That’s great! Your job will be easier now!” Ito’s enthusiast joy returned.

 

        “But, sir, they-”

 

        “Sorry, Saihara! I got another call coming in. Talk to you later, my boy.” 

 

        Shuichi grumbled at the sound of the line cutting out. Frustrated, he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket as he reached the entrance to his apartment complex. The detective didn’t understand why D.I.C.E. grew “soft” on him. Although it was suspicious and he was certain they were planning something and Shuichi would get to the bottom of it.


End file.
